Each Little Bird that Sings

I am a mother who reads a lot of my daughter's books to enjoy together. My daughter, who can hardly bear to read anything sad, wrote the review Sad but good. In my opinion, this was the perfect sad book for her to read. Comfort deals with the death of her family members in such a forthright way, only to be thrown into a tailspin over what she has done by letting her dog go in the flood. The resolution of Comfort's sorrow... Read Full Review

I liked this book because it deals with the subject of "death" in such an unusual way ... with a lot of facts and even some humor. Little Comfort is the daughter of funeral home owners and is rather nonchalant about death, having seen it so often, but when it strikes close to home and she has to deal with it on a personal level she learns much more about life ... death ... and how the loved ones left behind must deal with... Read Full Review

The other day I was speaking to a employee of the publishing house of Harcourt, Inc. We chatted about this and that but eventually I had to ask. What, in this employee's opinion, was Harcourt's best bet for the 2006 Newbery Award? I was told that word on the street was that people were all ah-buzz over author Deborah Wiles', "Each Little Bird That Sings". I had not heard of this book myself. Despite the fact that I am... Read Full Review

Within the first few pages of this book the reader can find the rest of the words of the song that is referenced in the title. I had learned the song in my junior high choir, but while we sang of the Lord God Loving them all (in public school, no less!), Wiles either knows a different version or chose to edit her book-version to keep things from getting to Jesus-y. Either way, what a relief. The last thing I want to see... Read Full Review

"Remember that death is a natural thing --- it's all around us...Don't try to hide death from kids... Kids are better at death than grown-ups give them credit for...." From the 2004 PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship winner and author of LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER --- an ALA Notable Children's Book, a Children's Book Sense 76 Pick, a Parent's Guide Children's Media Award Winner, and a New York Public Library Book for... Read Full Review